The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has raised concern over the evolving pattern of infectious disease outbreaks across the continent.
Africa CDC warned that Mpox and cholera hotspots were increasingly shifting across national borders.
Dr Wazih N. Cho, Intelligence and Data Analyst, Africa CDC, Division of Surveillance and Disease Intelligence, said this during the agency’s weekly outbreak briefing on Thursday.
Cho said that the recent surveillance data showed that transmission was no longer confined to single countries but was spreading across regions through human movement and weak cross-border monitoring systems.
He said about 85 per cent of confirmed Mpox cases in Africa were currently concentrated in a few member states.
He listed the member states to include Madagascar, Guinea, Kenya and Liberia, with Madagascar remaining the most affected due to sustained human-to-human transmission.
According to him Guinea, Kenya and Liberia continue to report relatively low numbers of cases, mostly in single to double digits.
He, however, said that Madagascar remained the primary hotspot with ongoing transmission and a high risk of spillover to neighbouring countries.
“The transmission is increasingly being driven by a few member states, but what is more concerning is the cross-border movement of cases, especially from high-burden areas,” he said.
He said that recent alerts also confirmed Mpox cases in Mauritius linked to travel, adding that such occurrences highlight the need for stronger regional surveillance, rapid detection, and coordinated response systems.
He said the two confirmed cases in Mauritius were quickly isolated, with contact tracing and risk communication immediately activated in collaboration with national authorities and Africa CDC support teams.
On cholera, Cho said the continent had recorded an overall decline in cases compared to previous years.
He warned that the case fatality rate remained above the global target of one per cent, currently standing at about 2.2 per cent.
He said the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique remained the major contributors to cholera cases and deaths.
According to him, both countries account for about 59 per cent and 21 per cent respectively, with DRC responsible for the majority of fatalities.
He also expressed concern over emerging outbreaks in countries such as Angola, Burundi and the Republic of Congo.
He said that new waves of infections were being driven by poor water, sanitation and hygiene conditions as well as environmental disruptions.
The data analyst cited Angola as an example of how structural gaps were sustaining transmission despite ongoing vaccination and response efforts.
“In Angola, about 44 per cent of the population lacks access to safe drinking water and 55 per cent lacks adequate sanitation.
“In some areas, we are seeing outbreaks shift to new locations even after interventions.
“This tells us that without addressing underlying issues such as water and sanitation, we will continue to run behind the disease,” he said.
He said Africa CDC was strengthening cross-border surveillance, vaccination deployment and emergency coordination across member states to contain further spread.
He said more than five million doses of Mpox vaccines had been deployed to 19 countries, with vaccination ongoing in at least 15 member states.
According to him, while progress is being made in reducing overall case numbers, sustained transmission in hotspots such as Madagascar and emerging clusters in other countries highlight the need for stronger regional coordination.
He reiterated the agency’s call for member states to invest in long-term public health infrastructure, particularly water, sanitation and disease surveillance systems, to prevent future outbreaks.
(NAN)